Just the Beginning
by Celynata
Summary: When May finally reaches the Johto region, she realizes how she has to deal with new challenges that face her now that she's on her own. Without the company of Ash, Brock, and Max, she must figure out how to succeed on her own and how to become the best Coordinator there is. One-shot of her first few moments in the Johto region.


A/N: This is a one-shot of the beginning of May's journey in the Johto region. I play around with things like a May/Drew romance and I try my best to represent how May would be feeling on her first journey where she would be on her own without Ash and the others. Hopefully I didn't ruin this too much, but I decided I'd take a shot at it. Thanks for reading!

**Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon or any of the Pokemon characters.**

…

New Bark Town-the perfect place to start out on a new journey; this was especially true for a young coordinator named May.

After getting into the Top Four in the Kanto Grand Festival, she had decided to split away from Ash, Brock, and Max and start out on a journey of her own. It had been hard on Max, but once they got home, he slowly started to understand her decision to start out on her own journey. It's not like she didn't like her journeys with the others, but she finally realized that she needed to begin her own journey to tone her own skills. To become the best coordinate, she had to become independent first. She couldn't rely on Ash, Brock, and Max forever.

So that was how she came to New Bark Town, the closest town in Johto from the Kanto region. She stood in the middle of the small town, trying to figure out her next step. She didn't have Max or Brock to tell her where the closest festival was…so what now? Where was she supposed to go? And standing there alone in the middle of an unfamiliar town…she suddenly realized how lonely she was. The places where her friends and brother would stand were now empty and the conversations they would have were now lost to the wind. Being alone with nowhere to go suddenly made that ache of loneliness and sadness come back to her like it had when she had left her friends for the first time…

_Maybe I shouldn't have gone off on my own so soon…_

But she shook her head fiercely, trying to get those thoughts out of her head. She couldn't turn back now. She had to learn how to live on her own with only her Pokemon by her side. She could do this, all she had to do was ask a few people where to head out first. Yes, that would solve all of her problems.

But before she could even move a step, she heard that familiar, cocky voice say behind her, "Lost already?"

She turned around, meeting the cool green gaze of her rival, Drew. He casually flipped his green hair with his fingers before stuffing both hands in his pockets. Even the simple movement made her angry; it was like he would always think that he was better than her. She had beaten him in the Kanto Festival, what else did she have to do so that he could look at her as an equal?

"I'm not lost," She snapped, crossing her arms, "I'm just resting for a bit. It was a long trip."

He smirked, not buying her excuse for a second, but all he said was, "The first festival is in Violet City, just so you know."

"I knew that," She lied. Then, desperate to get off the subject of her own incompetence, she added, "I'm surprised you're still here, Drew."

"I got here a few hours ago," He told her casually with another flip of his hair, "But I figured I might wait around to see if you would ever show up."

"Oh," She said, shifting her weight as she struggled to find something to say. "So are you going to go to that festival?"

"Nah, I have my sights set on other places," He started to move past her then, "But I'm sure you'll be able to handle Violet City. It's filled with amateurs like you."

"Amateurs?" She bristled, "I'm not a-oh!" She exclaimed as a rose was presented to her. An odd warmth spread through her body as she saw the rose and she gently took it from him. It was moments like these that made her think that Drew wasn't half bad and that maybe she might actually…No. She wouldn't even finish that thought, because it was impossible. _Impossible_. She would never see Drew that way, and he would never see her that way. _Ever_.

"You're supposed to say thank you," He told her, his usual cocky voice now having an edge of a gentle, teasing tone.

"Thank you," She murmured quietly, the warmth inside of her now spreading up to her face.

"Good luck, May," He told her then as he turned away from her and started to walk away. His last words were thrown over his shoulder, "I'll see you in the contests."

"Yeah," She whispered as she stroked the delicate petals of the rose, "You too."

As she watched her rival leave, she suddenly realized how foolish she had been just moments ago. She was not alone, she had her Pokemon by her side and people like Drew, Solidad-even Harley-to support her. Even if Drew was difficult sometimes, he had always helped her along the way. If it hadn't been for him, she would have never pushed herself as hard as she had. And she wouldn't stop pushing herself, because she would succeed. She would become the top Pokemon Coordinator, no matter what came in her way. No one and nothing could stop her anymore.

_Watch out Drew,_ She thought as her rival faded from view, _This is just the beginning._


End file.
